This invention relates to a system for draining surgical wounds, and more particularly, to a system including an evacuated collection container, a catheter tube, a protective housing for the catheter tube and an adapter for connecting the catheter tube to the evacuated container.
The prevention of hematoma is a major prerequisite of uncomplicated wound healing after the repair of a traumatic or surgically created wound. Despite meticulous technique in the care of such a wound, complete arrest of bleeding may not be achieved. Usually, gauze or rubber drains are used with a supportive dressing, but in recent years continuous suction drainage has been found to further reduce the risk of hematoma.
Known suction drainage systems for surgical wounds customarily include a catherter tube for insertion into the wound, a collection container for holding the fluid drained from the wound, and a connector for connecting the catheter tube to the container and providing fluid communication therebetween. In addition, a vacuum source is necessary to draw fluid from the wound into the collection container. The connector is typically a standard butterfly needle secured to extension tubing, which forms the catheter. The butterfly needle is inserted through a pierceable stopper on an evacuated container to make the connection, and the evacuated container is attached directly to the body of the patient.
However, problems arise with respect to the retention of the connector on the collection container. For example, in the butterfly needle system, as a result of movement of the patient, there is considerable wobbling of the needle with respect to the collection container stopper and the danger that, after extended wobbling, the needle will separate from the stopper. Furthermore, when the evacuated container is full, the attachment of the container to the body must be disturbed, so that the full container can be removed and a new container can be attached. In addition, the container is vulnerable to shattering or cracking due to impacts imposed by the movement of the patient.